Alumnus profile
Q & A with Ambassador Christopher J. McMullen ’74, M ‘76 Ambassador Christopher J. McMullen has a long, distinguished career with the Senior Foreign Service, most recently serving as the official envoy of the United
States to the Republic of Angola in Southern Africa (20102013). Currently, McMullen teaches at the National War College, from which he graduated with distinction in 2001. The former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs (2007-2010), he also served as Consul General in Sao Paulo, Brazil (20052007), Deputy Chief of Mission in Panama (2003-2005), and as a political officer in Nicaragua, Malaysia, El Salvador, Tanzania and Columbia. In addition to his contributions to the Foreign Service, he worked as a senior analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon. A Newtown Square, PA., native, McMullen earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in modern European history from West Chester and a Ph.D.in Latin American history from Georgetown University. During his recent visit to campus this winter, Ambassador McMullen reflected on his career as a U.S. diplomat and shared his personal views on the demands, rewards and challenges of representing America abroad. (The views expressed in this interview were Ambassador McMullen’s personal views.) What led you to pursue a career in Foreign Service? I started as a business major, but I had a professor who really got me interested in history, so I switched my major. During 24 West Chester University
my senior year, a Foreign Services officer came to speak during one of my classes about careers in that field and it really fascinated me. At the same time, West Chester offered me a research scholarship to study for my master’s degree. After I earned my master’s, I was accepted into Georgetown’s doctoral program. What are the most challenging aspects of serving the U.S. in other countries? You are always adjusting to new environments, either learning a language or another culture. Serving as a political officer in most places requires your developing a network of contacts. Many assignments are for short periods, so you have limited time to make connections, and so you have to function in the job very quickly. It is truly a challenge. What was one of your most memorable experiences in your career? My wife and I were in the embassy in Tanzania when it was bombed by al-Qaeda. It was very dramatic, not just for Americans but for the local staff. Tanzania is a very peaceful country. It had no wars, so the local staff was in shock for months. Africans have a tradition that if you are in their house, they are supposed to protect you. Even though alQaeda was going after Americans, the Tanzanians felt bad that we had to suffer that trauma. There are risks serving overseas, but Americans who live and work abroad depend on our embassies and our consultants. We’ve always had a diplomatic policy to be engaged in the